World footballer Robert Lewandowski from FC Bayern Munich and former German international Gerald Asamoah were honored with the Laureus Award on Sunday evening. The greatest sporting achievements of 2021 were honored at the digital awards ceremony in Seville.
Lewandowski received an honorary award after scoring 41 goals in the Bundesliga last season, beating Gerd Müller’s all-time Bundesliga goal record (40 goals).
Asamoah and the film “Schwarze Adler”, which documents the experiences of black players in German football, were recognized for their fight against racism.
The group of prizewinners is led by Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, who was voted “Laureus World Sportsman of the Year” after winning the 2021 World Championship at the last minute.
The Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jamaica), double Olympic champion from Tokyo, the Italian soccer champions, US Open winner Emma Raducanu (Great Britain) and Marcel Hug (Switzerland), who won four gold medals at the Paralympics in Tokyo, were the other main prize winners.
In addition to Lewandowski, NFL figurehead Tom Brady (USA) and nine-time motorcycle world champion Valentino Rossi (Italy) also received honorary awards for their long and successful careers.
The Laureus Awards recognize the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which uses the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage. Laureus currently supports more than 250 programs in around 40 countries.